PSYCHO THERAPY: THE SHALLOW TALE OF A WRITER WHO DECIDED TO WRITE ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER Review: Reminiscent of a Fun 90s Indie Noir Comedy

Keane (John Magaro, First Cow) is a struggling writer who has been toiling on a book for the last four years. It's a love story set in prehistoric times.

His somewhat successful previous book was about Mongolians, about which he had no knowledge, just like the Cro-Magnons and Neanderthals. His publisher is not crazy about the concept. It's not sexy enough; Keane should write about what he knows, the publisher suggests.

It is pretty obvious that his interior designer wife Suzie (Britt Lower, Severance) is not happy with having been a sole bread-winner of the house, and can't stand listening to his idiotic idea for the book that he will never finish, at dinner parties with friends. Her glacial expression and silence speaks volumes. She wants a divorce.

Everything changes when Keane is approached by Kollmick (Steve Buscemi), who says he's a fan and seems to know a lot about the author, at a bar. Kollmick has a proposition: 'Write about a serial killer and I will tell you everything I know about serial killers.' Because he himself is a retired serial killer. He will show Keane the ropes.

After getting caught by Suzie, though, sneaking into the house in the middle of the night with Kollmick, Keane tells Suzie that Kollmick is a marriage counselor. So starts an unusual, funny dark comedy with an incredibly long title: Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write about a Serial Killer.

Suzie is not convinced that Kollmick is what he says he is. His methods, such as bringing his stuffed dead cat with a doll's arm and telling the couple to talk to each other while looking only at the cat, doesn't really help to quell Suzie's suspicions. Also, she is suspecting that Keane is trying to kill her, based on all the books he's been reading about serial killers and poisoning, which were given to him by Kollmick. Strangely, the counselling sessions, however unorthodox they seem, are proving to be helpful in their marriage.

Kollmick's idea -- kidnapping Keane's publisher to get first-hand experience of the serial killer's process -- doesn't sit well with Keane, even with Kollmick's assurance: "He will understand, if it's for a sexy bestseller." Of course, the plan, involving an Albanian gun dealer and a bottle of chloroform, doesn't go the way they expected. To make matters worse, Suzie is on their trail, watching all the absurd situations that Keane and Kollmick find themselves in.

Psycho Therapy plays out like a dark indie noir comedy from the 90s, which we don't see often nowadays. Tolga Karaçelik's writing is brimming with absurdist humor, keeping unnecessary expositions to a minimum.

With his high-pitched, cracking voice, John Magaro is perfect for a bumbling poseur writer. Britt Lower's glacial Suzie with killer instincts had me cackling. Buscemi, who executive produced the film, chews up the scenes with that disdainful stare he is known for.

The film ends abruptly, but rightfully after the night of kidnapping(s) gone wrong, where the true natures of the couple are revealed. Psycho Therapy is a wildly entertaining black comedy with a pitch perfect cast.

The film opens Friday, April 4, at IFC Center in New York. It will expand into more theaters and On Demand April 11, via Brainstorm Media. Visit their official site for more information. 

Dustin Chang is a freelance writer. His musings and opinions on everything cinema and beyond can be found at www.dustinchang.com